“I couldn’t care less. We’re here to race, not for the show.” This was Bubba Wallace’s response to the first question that was fired at him during the 2025 Daytona 500 media session. The press was curious about what he thought of the current President of the United States, Donald Trump’s appearance at NASCAR’s season-opening event.
In 2020, Bubba Wallace was known for his social justice campaigns. From rallying against NASCAR’s Confederate flags to reporting a problematic action in his racing garage, he had a strong voice. However, currently, his political opinions have simmered down. Wallace prefers to be known for his driving and fatherhood duties – something that the current political landscape hardly allows.
Bubba Wallace reveals the stress he has to endure
For the longest time, the 23XI Racing driver had a clear message on his social media accounts.“You’re not going to stop hearing about ‘the black driver’ for years. Embrace it, accept it, and enjoy the journey.” Bubba Wallace did what he preached – he led the NASCAR community to ban Confederate flags in the sport. Then, in 2020, a noose was discovered in Wallace’s assigned garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. An investigation revealed that it was there beforehand and was not part of a hate crime. These incidents created an online feud between Wallace and the current political administration. Given the present landscape, they figure largely on people’s minds than ever.
However, Bubba Wallace is seeking a way out of all this hype. His son, Becks Hayden, arrived on this earth last September, and his bundle of joy has given him a fresh perspective. So he adopted a neutral approach to the political atmosphere: “People are going to like what they like and not like what they don’t like. Right? And who are we to judge somebody because they don’t agree with the things that we like to eat or like to do or the people we like or don’t like? That’s just how it is.”
.@BubbaWallace talks about the landscape of the country and how it’s transitioned to NASCAR @TreyWallace_ pic.twitter.com/s0rrwYbkXW
— OutKick (@Outkick) March 12, 2025
Yet Bubba Wallace also pointed out how difficult it is to keep up this neutral stance. Given his social justice campaign background and African American ethnicity, people still label him a certain way. “I have said over the last couple of years it’s crazy how you can wake up and just say, ‘Oh man, it’s a beautiful day and the sky is nice and blue.’ – ‘Oh, you’re a Democrat.’ – ‘Oh, you’re a Republican.’ It’s like, ‘Oh s—, I’m just talking here.’ I think everything is labeled as red or blue.” At the end of the day, Wallace admitted to his simple ideology. “I’m a person that…I just see people how they are. I want to be treated with respect, so I treat them with respect.”
Despite the noise all around, Bubba Wallace has attained a level of peace. That is visible for the 23XI Racing star both on the racetrack and at home.
Taking the higher ground
Bubba Wallace’s changing perspective surfaced last October during the 2024 elections. That was soon after his wife Amanda Wallace welcomed Becks Hayden on September 29th. Wallace declared: “Social media nowadays is just a way for people to hide behind a screen and voice their opinions on things they don’t really know about. It’s just too much negativity that it’s going to take years and years and years to get rid of, and we don’t have time for that.” Indeed, Bubba Wallace’s affable behavior has been visible with his performance on the track.
The No. 23 Toyota driver clinched a top-five finish at Bowman Gray and soon after won the Duel 1 at Daytona. But besides a top-ten finish in Atlanta, his other runs have been outside the top 20. Yet, instead of folding under the pressure to perform, Wallace has accepted it and keeps working on his skills.
Bubba Wallace’s brakes went out during the Shriner’s Children 400 at Phoenix Raceway. He could piece together a miserable 29th-place finish – but the driver was not bothered. That is what amazed even his wife, Amanda. Wallace said, “It just wasn’t meant to be, and I was trying to understand that pretty quick. It’s like, ‘OK, just accept it right?’, You’re not going to change the outcome. And even Amanda, we were texting after the race and she was like ‘I’m surprised you’re not upset’ or something along those lines. But she’s used to the bad days and I’m a pain in the a–, so she was quite surprised.”
This might be a positive sign that Bubba Wallace has a bright season ahead, and that is all we want to hear. With a new crew chief, Charles Denike, in the garage and a reignited passion to prove everyone wrong, Wallace is ready to revive his racing reputation and mark himself as a contending driver on the Cup Series grid.
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